Construction of Vanamamalai mutt-Kainkaryam at thirumalai (Part-4)

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

 

Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha

 

Sri Vara Vara munayE Namaha

 

Sri vAnAchala mahA munayE Namaha

 

 

 

In Srivaishanava sampradayam, all the divine places and temples adorned and sung by azhvars, the divya sooris are called as divya desams. Among the 108 divya desams, 106 are in this world and the rest two being thiruparkadal and Srivaikundam. One such divine place is vanamamalai, sirivaramangalanagar. Swamy nammazhvar in his thiruvaimozhi (5-7) sings the praise of this divyadesams in 11 paasurams. This is azhvar's first sharanagathi declaring his Akinchanyam (no credits to help him attain his results, kaimudal ellAmai) and ananyagadhithvam (no one else to aid).

 

 

 

Sri Azhagiya manavala perumal nAyanar, in his masterly work Acharya Hrudhayam elaborates the various kalyana gunas exhibited by emperuman in various divyadesams in a few sutras. While talking about vanamamalai, Sri AMP says,

 

 

 

"ruchi vivasarkkum pAdhamE sharaNakkum owdhAryam vAnamAmalaiyilE kozhundhu vidum" (AH 163).

 

 

 

In thirukkurungudi nambi exhibited his lAvanyam and mesmerized azhvar.

 

Lavanyam- samudhAya shObhA - collective beauty;

 

Sowndaryam - avayava shObhA - Beauty of the parts;

 

 

 

Slowly azhvar's devotion started to grow. It reached its peak and finally he sings "Arenakku nin pAdamE sharaNaga tantozhindhAi" [Oh! Lord you have blessed me with your divine feet as refuge] Thus emperuman in vanamamalai, deivanAyakan expressed his owdAryam (benevolence) and made azhvar to surrender unto to his divine feet.

 

"vandaruli ennenjidam Konda vAnavar kozhundhE"

 

[Nammazhvar did not approach deivanAyaka perumal just like kaliyan who cherishes visiting each and every divyadesam personally. Instead, DeivanAyaka perumal sacrificed his divine abode and landed in vanamamalai. Not stopping with that now he has traveled all the way to azhvar thirunagari to get settled in the heart of azhvar.]

 

 

 

Every year during this divine month vaikasi, on the 5th day of the azhvar utsavam all the navathirupathi emperumans come to azhvar thirunagari to get mangalasasanams from nammazhvar. All the emperumans give darshan to nammazhvar in garuda vahanam as requested by azhvar to have the darshan of the lord in his street once. One speciality in these 9 divya desams around azhvar thirunagari is that there is no archa vigraham for nammazhvar other than the one at thirukkurugur. In vanamamalai, swamy nammazhvar is found in archa on the Sri satari of deivanayaka perumal. In thirukkurungudi, there is no archa vigraham for nammazhvar as azhvar is considered to be the avatara of nambi himself.

 

 

 

Nammazhvar's first sharaNagathi

 

 

 

NORRa nOnbilEn nun arivilEn Agilum eni vunnai vittoNdrum

ARRakiRkindRilEn aravinanai ammAnE

 

SERRutAmarai sennalOdu malar sirivaramangala nagar

 

VeeRRirundha endhAi! Vunakku migai allEnangE.

 

 

 

Let us continue to enjoy more in the next posting.

 

 

 

Azhvar emperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigalE sharaNam

 

Adiyen ramanuja dAsee

 

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

"LET US WORK IN UNITY AND BE PART OF THE ACHARYA KAINKARYAM AND GET CLOSE TO THE HEARTS OF THE DIVINE COUPLES"